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the Government of the Republic. The Prime Minister appoints two ministers who have the right to substitute for the Prime Minister during his or her absence. The procedure for substitution is established by the Prime Minister. Only another minister can substitute for a minister.

      A ministry is run by a minister. The President may, on a proposal of the Prime Minister, appoint up to two so-called ministers without portfolio (i.e. without a ministry). An exception is the Ministry of the InteriorMinistry of the Interior, which is run by the Minister of the Interior, but the structural units of the Ministry of the Interiorstructural units of the Ministry of the Interior involved in local government, regional administration, regional development, marital status matters, and arrangement of issues related to churches and congregations are run by the Minister of Regional Affairs. Therefore, the Ministry of Regional Affairs also has the rights and duties of a minister running a ministry.

      A minister presides over his or her ministry, disposes of matters within his or her sphere of government, issues regulations and administrative decrees on the basis of and for the implementation of laws, and performs other duties assigned to him or her on the basis of and pursuant to a procedure provided by law.

      Members of the Government of the Republic may not hold any other governmental office, or belong to the management board or supervisory board of a commercial enterprise.

      For information on the members of the Government and their activity, follow the link www.valitsus.eewww.valitsus.ee.

      The ministries of the Republic of Estonia are as follows:

      • Ministry of Education and ResearchMinistry of Education and Research

      • Ministry of JusticeMinistry of Justice

      • Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence

      • Ministry of the EnvironmentMinistry of the Environment

      • Ministry of CultureMinistry of Culture

      • Ministry of Economic Affairs and CommunicationsMinistry of Economic Affairs and Communications

      • Ministry of AgricultureMinistry of Agriculture

      • Ministry of FinanceMinistry of Finance

      • Ministry of the InteriorMinistry of the Interior

      • Ministry of Social AffairsMinistry of Social Affairs

      • Ministry of Foreign AffairsMinistry of Foreign Affairs

      Governmental authorities

      Governmental authorities include ministries, the Government Office and county governments, agencies and inspections and their local offices of executive power. The Defence Forces and the prosecutor’s office are also governmental authorities.

      At the county level, the Government is represented by the county governor. The governor also verifies the legality of legislation of specific application passed by local government units and of certain administrative operations.

      Government Office and Secretary of State

      The Government of the Republic is assisted by the Government Office, which is led by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State organises the work of the Government of the Republic and leads the Government OfficeGovernment Office.

      The Secretary of State is appointed and released by the Prime Minister.

      Working procedure of the Government of the Republic

      Unlike sittings of the Riigikogu, meetings of the Government of the Republic are held in camera (unless the Government decides otherwise). Decisions of the Government are made at the meetings. The Government of the Republic makes its decisions based on proposals from the Prime Minister or from a competent minister. Government Regulations and Directives are also adopted at the meetings. The meetings of the Government of the Republic are chaired by the Prime Minister. Decisions are taken collectively and the Prime Minister does not have the right to decide in the name of the Government (as in some other countries).

      Regulations of the Government are valid if they bear the signature of the Prime Minister, the competent minister and the Secretary of State. Regulations of the Government and ministers are also available in the electronic Riigi Teataja at www.riigiteataja.eewww.riigiteataja.ee.

      LOCAL GOVERNMENT

      The entities of local self-government are rural municipalities and cities. Rural municipalities and cities resolve local issues within the framework of uniform state legislation.

      The general principle is that decisions are made as close to an inhabitant as possible – at the so-called grassroots level. In cities and rural municipalities, local circumstances are understood better, and resolution of local issues is the most important task of the local government. The state cannot monopolise making of such decisions.

      Local government:

      • is based on the division of the territory of the state into administrative units

      • is exercised by democratically formed legislative and executive bodies

      • with regard to local issues, can also be exercised by means of opinion polls or public initiative

      Local government is based on the following principles:

      • independent and final resolution and arrangement of local issues

      • mandatory guarantee of everyone’s lawful rights and freedoms in its administrative territory

      • observance of law in the performance of its functions and duties

      • responsibility for the performance of its functions

      • transparency of activities

      • provision of public services under the most favourable terms

      • inhabitants of the rural municipality or city have the right of participation

      Local government bodies are:

      • a city or rural municipality council – the representative body of a local government elected by the residents of the rural municipality or city with the right to vote pursuant to the relevant Act

      • a city or rural municipality government – the executive body formed by the council

      A rural municipality government is run by the rural municipality mayor and a city government by the mayor.

      Local government elections

      Local government councils are elected by way of general, uniform and direct elections for a term of four years, as provided for in the Local Government Council Election ActLocal Government Council Election Act. Voting is secret. The elections are held on the third Sunday in October everywhere in Estonia.

      All persons who have attained 18 years of age and whose permanent residence is located in the administrative territory of the rural municipality or city have the right to vote at local government council elections. Persons of undetermined citizenship and citizens of other states who have permanent residence permit or permanent

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